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So we are still catching up a little, we left off on a bit of a bad note on the last blog but dont worry i made a full recovery when we got to Thailand and am back to eating 6 meals a day :) After spending a few days in Bangkok (just escaping the floods) we headed down to Thailands gulf coast islands for some R & R. After a gruelling 18 hour journey we arrived in Koh Samui at Lamai beach, it was ok but the area was slightly baron with not much more than a monitor lizard for entertainment, so we hired a motorbike to explore the island and moved north to the 'Fishermans village' in Bophut. In amongst the condos and hotels we found a nice cheap room and spent a few days enjoying the tasty seafood and drinks on the beach. It felt like a holiday within a holiday after the bustle of Hanoi and Bangkok. Meeting up with the lovely Chichi and Farooq (our friends on holiday all the way from Manchester) was great. Curry, beer and friendly faces from home, brill, thanks guys! After more motorbike exploring, a spot of mini golf and checking out the tacky clubs and girly bars we decided it was time to move on.
The idyllic island of Koh Tao was the perfect place for me to start learning to dive (www.scuba-junction.com) - and for Simon to refresh his memory and do an advanced course. I was pretty nervous and the first day didnt pan out so well with me landing face down on the seabed then getting so cold my lips were blue. We had to stop while i warmed up on the beach! But thankfully when we actually started diving it all came together and i loved it. Simon was lucky enough to see turtles, sea snakes, and even pilot whales on the surface coming up for air! He also got a taste for underwater photography (see photos) and went on a night dive. We joined the divemasters for a celebration at a 'bowling alley' where a few Burmese men were employed to run around at the end of the lanes restacking the pins, very funny! Aside from the amazing diving the island is beautiful with a laid back vibe, beachside BBQs and amazing sunsets. We'd definitely recommend it!
From one paradise to another we headed to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon party - we had our reservations about both the island and the party but its actually an incredibly beautiful place and outside the party town theres still a local vibe with a tasty night market, quiet beaches and great diving. We had a lot of fun at the full moon party after a couple of buckets! Most of the music maybe wasnt quite to our taste but dancing on a white powder beach with luminous tattoos, cheap drinks and fire shows until sunrise is not an experience we'll forget quickly. With fresh fish dinners on the sand and good weather it was hard to leave so we ended up staying 6 days, taking day trips to snorkel around a mini island and dive at sail rock. Aside from the countless tropical fish, we spotted moray eels, huge barracuda schools and had our hands nibbled by tiny cleaner shrimp!
Reluctant to leave Thailand with its spicy food, cheap beer and relaxed atmosphere, but conscious of time we headed on to Malaysia to the island of Penang....
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